What a race! As I'm writing, the first eight boats of the 2008 Vendee Globe are within 20 miles of each other, which is quite incredible after almost 20 days at sea and some 5,000 miles covered.

The weather encountered on the way down the South Atlantic resulted in a drag race south but the St Helena high pressure system – a massive zone of practically no wind – has presented a constantly evolving obstacle.

All week long, the skippers have been kept busy trying to anticipate its movements, working out various tactical scenarios to get round the high pressure without losing boat speed, and into the stronger breeze the other side which will propel them into the path of the even faster low pressure systems of the Southern Ocean.

It's no secret that the first one to reach the westerlies in the Roaring Forties could have an advantage for the rest of the race – unless the frontrunners all manage to get on the conveyor belt at the same time!

It was fantastic to see my team-mate Sebastien Josse on BT move into first place on Thursday afternoon. But, right now, it is still very much wide open.

Mentally it's really hard see your rivals make a comeback and what is really impressive is how the leaders, Loick Peyron and Sebastien, have managed to sail without making any tactical mistakes holding their place despite the pressure of their competitors.

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It was plain to see a few days ago when the pack crossed the Doldrums and there was a compression of the fleet, the leaders were under threat and yet they did not give up their advantage. The French skippers are experts in close combat benefiting from the elite solo training at Port la Foret, so it is equally impressive to see British skipper Mike Golding with this leading group.

Predicting what will happen next is another story! Weather conditions remain difficult with a lot of squall activity which equals a lot of time on deck making sail changes. They will have to manoeuvre often, and swiftly, otherwise they could be stuck or, even worse, break some gear.

Listening to the skippers audio conferences, you can hear how tired they are, even if they don't admit it! Looking at the weather charts, the leaders will probably be clear of the high and into the westerly winds this weekend giving them a much-needed respite from these tricky and unstable conditions.